U.S. Extends Tariff Pause to August 1, Issues Tariff Notices to 14 Countries

The 90‑day suspension of additional ad valorem reciprocal tariffs on some countries, which was set to expire July 9, has now been officially extended to give way to bilateral talks.

In a July 7 Executive Order (EO), the White House extended the tariff pause of the additional reciprocal tariffs on some foreign trading partners until 12:01 a.m. EDT on August 1, 2025.

However, the 10% ad valorem duty rate will remain in effect for the specific countries listed in Annex I to EO 14257.

The extension, based on additional information and recommendations from various senior U.S. officials, will allow more time for bilateral negotiations.

Originally introduced in April under EO 14257 and EO 14266, these tariffs were put on hold for 90 days pending trade talks.

Simultaneously, the U.S. administration has issued letters to 14 countries, notifying them of country-specific tariff rates that range from 25% to 40%.

August 1 is the formal implementation date, but there may be revisions to these tariffs if new trade agreements are reached in the coming weeks.

The European Union was not included in this round of tariff notices.

For China, the separate tariff pause under EO 14298 remains in effect and is not affected by this new announcement.

A deadline of August 12 has been set to finalize a tariff framework between the U.S. and China.

Affected countries and tariff rates

According to the published tariff notices, reciprocal tariffs will apply to imported goods from 14 countries, and the rates are as follows:

• 25% on goods from Japan, South Korea, Tunisia, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan.
• 30% on goods from South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• 32% on goods from Indonesia.
• 35% on goods from Serbia and Bangladesh.
• 36% on goods from Cambodia and Thailand.
• 40% on goods from Laos and Myanmar. 

These tariffs are separate from other sector-specific tariffs that apply, such as those on steel, aluminum, or automotive parts.

Next steps for U.S. importers

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the International Trade Commission, and other relevant agencies are expected to publish implementation guidelines soon to clarify how the tariffs will be implemented.

In the meantime, importers sourcing goods from any of the 14 countries notified of reciprocal tariff rates are advised to:

• Assess supply chains to identify goods that may be subject to the new tariffs.
• Review and update financial projections to account for potential cost increases.
• Explore sourcing alternatives to mitigate risk and maintain competitiveness.
• Consult a customs broker to ensure all import processes comply with the new requirements. 

How Cole International can help

At Cole International, we constantly monitor changing trade regulations and offer customs and compliance consulting services to help businesses navigate these changes.

Additionally, we provide timely and efficient customs brokerage services to help U.S. importers streamline their customs clearance and other import processes.

If you import goods from one of the countries in the tariff notices, please reach out to one of our trade professionals to discuss the impact on your business and how we can help you with compliance and risk mitigation.